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"Poles in KL Auschwitz. The next stage of work on the exhibition.

The new permanent exhibition "Poles in KL Auschwitz. Residents of the Oświęcim area during World War II" is being created on two floors of Block 15 at the former Auschwitz I site. The ongoing work pertains to preserving the historic structure and construction activities, among other things. The groundwork for the initial exhibition elements is currently underway. The exhibition should be completed by the middle of next year.

The project is funded thanks to the extraordinary support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The new exhibition is designed by a consortium of Adventure Sławomir Mazan, Jarema Szandar Sp. J., Koza Nostra Studio sp. z o.o. and Biuro Usług Architektonicznych "Profil" sp. z o.o. The general contractor for the new exhibition is the consortium comprising Budownictwo i Zarządzanie Tomasz Francuz sp. z o.o. and MTMA Sp. z o.o.

The exposition will be an extension of the main exhibition, with a particular focus on the fate of Poles in the German Nazi Auschwitz camp. The exhibition will showcase the historical records of political prisoners at the camp, as well as other groups of Polish citizens who were detained there, including Polish sent to Auschwitz for extermination.

'Regarding conservation efforts, various measures have been taken, including the thorough cleaning and disinfection of all interior surfaces and architectural elements, the preservation of original paint layers, and the cleaning and conservation of window woodwork. Conservation measures to protect the foundations of the building were critical. Furthermore, the façade and roof covering have been cleaned and disinfected,' said Robert Płaczek, who coordinates the work on the exhibition.

Specialised structures have been installed to reinforce the building's floors and roof trusses. The central heating system and other installations needed for the proper and safe use of the historic building have also been modernised.

Work on the exhibition itself is also in progress. 'The initial architectural elements of the new exhibition are being developed and will soon be installed inside the designated block. Copies of artworks, facsimiles of documents and documentary material are also being prepared,' added Robert Płaczek.

"The exhibition is designed with the primary intention of evoking emotional experiences. The composition's leitmotif, composed of basic geometric shapes with differing densities, remained intact. The perception of restricted freedom, which was completely absent during the camp's operation, is intensified by the incorporation of Dante Alighieri's poetic depiction of the consecutive circles of hell in the camp's structure and visual identity,” wrote the project's authors.

Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz, head of the Auschwitz Museum Research Centre, is the author of the exhibition scenario.

'The exhibition will delve into the origins of the war and the German occupation of Poland, effectively portraying the magnitude of persecution and cruelty while highlighting the systematic planning of arrests by the German police. Additionally, it will explore the deportation mechanisms of Polish Jews, the categorisation of Polish prisoners at Auschwitz, the causes of their deaths in the camp, and the subjects of liberation and post-war memory building,' he said.

'The second part of the exhibition will deal with the history of Auschwitz during the Second World War - the realities of the occupation, displacement, the activities of IG Farbenindustrie, and German plans for rebuilding the city. It will also shed light on the aid provided at the risk of their lives to Auschwitz prisoners by "People of Good Will", Poles living near the so-called "camp zone of interest" - an area of 40 square kilometres isolating the camp premises from the outside world. The entire project will culminate with a list of over 1,200 names of people who assisted the prisoners," - Piotr Setkiewicz added.

During the period from 1940 to 1945, approximately 1.3 million individuals were deported by the Germans to Auschwitz. This included around 450,000 citizens of the II Polish Republic, consisting of approximately 300,000 Jews, 150,000 Poles, and 1,400 Roma.

For the duration of the project, the ground floor of block 21 housed a temporary exhibition devoted to the fate of Poles in the German Auschwitz concentration camp.

This exhibition consists of several chapters. The first focuses on the story of the first transport of Poles to Auschwitz on 14 June 1940 from Tarnów. The prisoners of the first transport are depicted in recently discovered unique photographs from the collection of Marek Tomaszewski, among others. Subsequent sections recount various significant deportation actions of Polish citizens: from the Zamojszczyzna region, the ghettos of the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region and the Litzmannstadt ghetto, or insurgent Warsaw.

The origins of Auschwitz, the reasons for the arrest and incarceration of Poles in the camp and the plans to expand Auschwitz as the main camp for prisoners from German-occupied Poland are discussed in the online lesson "Poles in KL Auschwitz."